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Does anyone remember The Last Train? Post-apocalyptic drama, a group of train passengers end up cryogenically suspended and emerge from the tunnel they de-railed in to find the world an almost deserted, ruined dystopia caused by a meteor strike?

Having finished Deep Space 9 has left me panging for more good sci-fi. So i've decided to do a massive marathon of not only re-runs but shows I haven't checked out before. On the plate:

Stargate - SG-1 (currently watching), Atlantis, Universe, Movies
Star Trek - TNG (currently watching), Voyager, Movies, undecided on TOS and Enterprise however
Farscape - I cannot fucking wait to go through Farscape again. There's more content in one episode than in seasons of most other shows. Its glorious.
Firefly
BSG
Lexx - not seen before
Space: Above and Beyond - not seen before
Babylon 5 - only seen bits and pieces so looking forward to this.

Current impressions (warning, mass spoilers):

DS9 - grand and satisfying. Strongest of the Trek shows comfortably and although its first two seasons aren't great (Some episodes aside), they are better than the first two seasons of TNG and Voyager (Both of which were terrible early on, especially TNG *blugh*). Season 6 was a bit of a damp squib story arc wise (Dominion and the Prophets/Pah`Wraiths went on a holiday apparently) but the focus on Odo+Kira and some very dark subject matters and politics - "In the pale moonlight" episode is outstanding - helped. But season 7 made up for it even with some shady squeezing in of various story arcs. 7 years of a strong spirituality storyline with Sisko however was reduced to a 2 minute showdown with Dukat and deus ex machinad to a corporeal form? wtf?. I blubbed like an old woman when Odo becomes that gas/light/thing for Kira however, that was an emotional payoff worth waiting for. :`)

TNG - holy shit the first season is just awful. Good thing I know season 2 improves immensely and once "Measure of a Man" comes around, i'll be hooked all over again. The glory that is seasons 3, 4, 5, 6 are just around the corner.

SG-1 - like TNG, the first season is just ugh and the second isn't that much better but by the third season starts 7 seasons of what is probably my favourite sci-fi show. SG-1 also has the greatest time loop/travel episode ever written. "IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BACKSWING!?!?"

Lexx - not seen before
Space: Above and Beyond - not seen before
Babylon 5 - only seen bits and pieces so looking forward to this

Lexx is something you're going to have to persevere with. The first season is like four mini-films. The initial scene of the pilot film is quite strong, with His Shadow and the Brunnen'G planet. After that, you'll have to put up with a lot of dross before you get to some mentalness in the second one involving Tim Curry. I don't remember much about the third one other than it having Rutger Hauer, and if memory serves the fourth one has Malcolm McDowell. Season 2 then goes proper episode size, and has a very strong finale. Season 3 is a complete change in plotting, being set almost exclusively on two planets and has an epic villain. Season 4 has an appearance by Craig Charles and Hattie Hayridge, though not as Lister and Holly unfortunately.
This is one show that is bound to get a darker, grittier remake a few years down the line.

Space: Above and Beyond is one I have never managed to get more than two episodes into before turning it off out of utter boredom.

As for Babylon 5, if you start with the original pilot, be aware that the rest of the show is vastly different. The sets and makeup are all hugely different. It's worth watching because a lot of the events that take place in it get many referrals in later episodes, plus a character from it will make a return some way down the line. By the time you get all the way through to The Lost Tales, the initial scene with the G'Kar voiceover will move you.

Were they in the same sentence, you'd have an oxymoron. I won't flat out and say that Voyager doesn't have even a single good episode, or idea, because it does, but you have to wade through some serious amounts of shit that even Jeff Goldblum wouldn't know what to make of it.

As for TOS and Enterprise, I can't speak of the former, but the latter is...interesting. The third series does some interesting stuff, whilst the fourth was led by someone who actually liked Star Trek and as a result was mostly actually pretty entertaining, final episode not included. I'd be loathe to recommend you start at the third season, but it may not even be a stretch to tell you to watch the opening two-parter, the final episode of the second season (it's basically a prologue to the third season) and then watch from then onwards. You then might come out of it thinking Enterprise isn't completely awful as well.

In fact, I might go so far as saying that had Enterprise been allowed to have more episodes, it might've actually been very good. The plot of the fourth season is highly important in the history of the Federation, with the fifth supposed to be a lead in to another really interesting part of the history. Alas, it wasn't to be, so the latter was included subtly.

Farscape - I cannot fucking wait to go through Farscape again. There's more content in one episode than in seasons of most other shows. Its glorious.

The first episode of the new series of Fresh Meat is available on 4OD now, it's pretty good, though the characters still don't seem to have grown out of their delusions or constructed realities at all, ah to be young.

I actually think Jack Whitehall (who I usually hate) is really good in this, I live in a city where about 95% of the male students are JP and his delivery of 'That's it, I'm wanking' was spot on.

Oh yeah, Misfits is back too, it never really live up to its early promise, but it's still quite entertaining watch, I love the Geordie barmans utterly serious delivery of his stupid lines "This is a chance to use my cock for good!"

You're my new favourite person for reminding me that it was available to watch. Solid episode, reminded me just how much I love Vod and JP...and Melissa/Oregon. Poor Howard at the end though, all of JP's taunts clearly getting the better of him.

his delivery of 'That's it, I'm wanking' was spot on.

That entire scene was god damn hilarious. Every character got a moment to be amazing.

Were they in the same sentence, you'd have an oxymoron. I won't flat out and say that Voyager doesn't have even a single good episode, or idea, because it does, but you have to wade through some serious amounts of shit that even Jeff Goldblum wouldn't know what to make of it.

As for TOS and Enterprise, I can't speak of the former, but the latter is...interesting. The third series does some interesting stuff, whilst the fourth was led by someone who actually liked Star Trek and as a result was mostly actually pretty entertaining, final episode not included. I'd be loathe to recommend you start at the third season, but it may not even be a stretch to tell you to watch the opening two-parter, the final episode of the second season (it's basically a prologue to the third season) and then watch from then onwards. You then might come out of it thinking Enterprise isn't completely awful as well.

In fact, I might go so far as saying that had Enterprise been allowed to have more episodes, it might've actually been very good. The plot of the fourth season is highly important in the history of the Federation, with the fifth supposed to be a lead in to another really interesting part of the history. Alas, it wasn't to be, so the latter was included subtly.

You are correct.

Voyager was so much wasted potential but when it gets it right, its some seriously good sci-fi. Sadly you have to sift through some rubbish as well. Enterprise is an odd one, I like the prequel setting but it fucks with the canon so much. :/ I agree it was showing excellent promise in seasons 3/4 but I think 20 years of the same guys leading the franchise led to much staleness. I would have though that in that time they would learn to hit the ground running but every Star Trek series suffered from the first two seasons being so weak (with the exception of a few odd episodes in DS9 and Voyager). TNG had the excuse of bringing Trek back to TV but repeating this folly with DS9, Voyager AND Enterprise was ridiculous. All the shows suffer from a lot of bloat as well.

Which is why the Farscape and BSG methods of tight, scripted affairs with a beginning and end scripted in from the start were much more impactful affairs. If Trek returns to TV again (I really hope it does, its where it belongs) that the writers strip out unnecessary elements. If I remember right one of Voyager's writers left and eventually reached BSG. Can you imagine if Voyager had some of BSG in there? Greatest shit ever right there.

The first episode of the new series of Fresh Meat is available on 4OD now, it's pretty good, though the characters still don't seem to have grown out of their delusions or constructed realities at all, ah to be young.

Thank you for making me discover that show! I was looking for more British comedy, and this show is just great. It's funny how these characters all seem unrealistic, but being a student myself and thinking about it, I do know people who are exactly like the people in the show! Life can be so weird sometimes.

Space: Above and Beyond is one I have never managed to get more than two episodes into before turning it off out of utter boredom.

I like it quite a lot, possibly partially because it was one of the very few sci-fi series that were shown here in the mid-nineties (not that it's much better now). It's sort of a mass of cliches, the acting and effects can be iffy, but I think it manages to work anyway.

Just watched the first season of Farscape. I don't think it was ever shown here, so I didn't know anything about it and only started on it because it was mentioned in this thread a good while back. It's quite enjoyable.